Connector with temporary cable holding means



May 11, 1965 L. s. LYNCH, JR. ETAL 3,183,025

CONNECTOR WI'I'H TEMPORARY CABLE HOLDING MEANS Filed May 16, 1963 [ESL/E J. A. S BYE. L.

8. LYNCH. JR. H/LLER ELDR/D GE ATTORNEY Uni e States Patent 10 3 1 3 025. 7 CONNECTOR WITH TENIPORARY CABLE .HOLDING MEANS I Leslie S. Lynch, Jr., Union, Edward L. Eldridge, Warren Township, Somerset County, and Joseph A. Schiller, 1 Somerset, N.J., assignors to The Thomas & Betts Co., Elizabeth,NJ., incorporation of New Jersey Filed May 16, 1963, Ser. No. 280,913

Claims- (Cl. 287-78) This invention relates to a compression connector for connection of wires such as power and service lines. The compression connector of this invention has structural features such that in the joining of wires therewith, the operator may readily secure the wires in an initially assembled position wherein they are conveniently and firmly held in the connector pending compression of the connector in a tool if desired.

The connector incorporates features pursuant to which the connector body may be formed as a standard unit and plate members provided with recesses for reception of the wires therein may be formed for concentric or eccentric relation to the connector body wire recesses or openings to thereby selectively clear or restrict said wire openings for selective accommodation of wires of various diameters, for example.

The connector of this invention, as below described, incorporates further novel features, including end fingers provided on the plate members, partly closing the recesses therein in an arrangement such that the wires will first spread apart and then snap past the ends of said fingers, so as to thereby hold the wires against accidental displacement and latched to the connector.

The connector of this invention'may be used, as above set forth, without impairing compression of the connector to close the recesses therein and to deform the connector body about the wires.

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an end the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector body on which said end plate may be assembled,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the body member plate embodying with such end plates assembled thereon,

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the recesses formed at the ends of the body member for connection of the end plate 20 thereto.

As shown in the drawings, pursuant to this invention a connector body is provided preferably made of compressible conducting materialfor example, a suitable metal or alloy, such that. the connector body may be positioned within a compression tool for closing the longitudinal recesses 11, 12 therein, provided for reception of a pair of wires 13, 14 such as power and service lines, to be secured to and connected by the member 10. An end plate 20 is provided having recesses 21, 22 therein for reception of wires 13 and 14. Means are provided for securing the plate in line with an end wall (23 or 24) of the body member 10 and for selected relative juxtapositioning of the plate recesses and the connector recesses. By aligning or offsetting (FIG. 4) the plate recesses 21, 22 relative to the body recesses 11 and 12, or by forming the recesses 21 and 22 of the end plate of dilferent diametersthan the recesses 11 and 12 of the body, the effective cross-sectional area of said recesses 11 and '12 may be correspondingly varied. Accordingly, the plate member 20'may beformed as a Standard unit and the body member 10 manufactured likewise as a standard unit with recesses 11, 12 of given cross-sectional area; by the use of the plate members 20 having recesses 21, 22 therein of the particular diameters useful in connection with the diameters of the wires 13, 14 to be secured to the body 10, or by th'e'assembly of the plate 20 on the body 10 in or out of registry with the body recesses, as above noted, a wide variety of diameters of wires 13, 14 may be accommodated. The plate member 20 may be secured to the body member 10 by providing the latter with recesses 25, 26 for reception of one or more pins 27, 28 extending from the plate 20 for registration therewith. Said pins may be'friction fitted or staked therein as noted 29 (FIG. 3) to hold the plate against the end wall. If desired, a second end plate 20a (FIG. 3) corresponding with the end plate 20 may be positioned against the opposite wall 24 of body. The recesses 21, 22 in the plate 20 may be substantially closed by the fingers 30, 31 formed on the plate 20, the ends of the fingers being closely spaced (FIG. 2) so as to substantially close the recesses in the plate.

On insertion of a wire into an end plate recess such as 21 and into body 10 the wire will first spread apart and then snap past the fingers and into the recess in the end plate, holding the wire to the plate and body. The plate 20 may be formed of suitable material, for example, a flexible plastic or metal or other material, as desired, and may have the fingers 30, 31 thereof extended angularly therefrom (FIG. 3) to facilitate insertion of the wire intermediate the finger ends as above noted, and to grip the wires and interlock the body 10 therewith (FIG. 3) and prevent movement of the body 10 along the wires.

In FIG. 5 pins 27, 28 of end plate 20 are shown in line for reception in recesses 25', 26' formed at the ends instead of at the sides of the body member.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A compression connector comprising an elongated body member including end walls and side walls, means defining first and second longitudinally disposed but laterally offset substantially U-shaped recesses within said body for selective reception of wires to be connected thereby, at least one end plate including means defining first and second recesses corresponding to said first and second recesses in said body for reception and temporary retention of at least one of said wires therein, and at least one aperture disposed substantially parallel to said longitudinal recess to receive securing means on said plate to retain said plate in aligned relation with one of said end Walls of said body effecting registry of said first and second plate recesses with said first and second connector recesses respectively, said means defining each of said recesses in said plate including finger portions terminating with their respective free ends disposed in closely spaced relation adjacent the mouth of said first and second recess portions in said body member substantially closing the recesses in said plate and restricting the recesses in said body whereby said wires may be disposed in said recesses of said end plate and said body and retained therein by said fingers.

2. The compression connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said end walls of said elongated body member is substantially flat and said end plate is substantially fiat.

3.- The compression connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said ends of said fingers is displaceable Patented May 11, 1965,

with respect to the otherfinge'r to enlarge the opening to extend angularly outwardly of the connector to facilitate passage, of the wires therebetween.

4. The compressionconnector as set forth in claim 1,

reception of said wires therein. I

5.' The compression connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means to secure said plate to the connector body comprises pin means extending from the plate and pin receiving me'ans on the connector body for receiving said plate pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES IPATENTS Montague; 24-1152 Bradley 174-71 X Soreng 339-276 Hoffman ,174-94 Clevett. 24 115 Nilsson 174-94 Matthysse '174-84.1 Whitley 174-94 Mustee 285-137 X CARL w. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMPRESSION CONNECTOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER INCLUDING END WALLS AND SIDE WALLS, MEANS DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED BUT LATERALLY OFFSET SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED RECESSES WITHIN SAID BODY FOR SELECTIVE RECEPTION OF WIRES TO BE CONNECTED THEREBY, AT LEAST ONE END PLATE INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND RECESSES CORRESPONDING TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECESSES IN SAID BODY FOR RECEPTION AND TEMPORARY RETENTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WIRES THEREIN, AND AT LEAST ONE APERTURE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID LONGITUDINAL RECESS TO RECEIVE SECURING MEANS ON SAID PLATE TO RETAIN SAID PLATE IN ALIGNED RELATION WITH ONE OF SAID END WALLS OF SAID BODY EFFECTING REGISTRY OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLATE RECESSES WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONNECTOR RECESSES RESPECTIVELY, SAID MEANS DEFINING EACH OF SAID RECESSES IN SAID PLATE INCLUDING FINGER PORTIONS TERMINATING WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE FREE ENDS DISPOSED IN CLOSELY SPACED RELATION ADJACENT THE MOUTH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECESS PORTIONS IN SAID BODY MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING THE RECESSES IN SAID PLATE AND RESTRICTING THE RECESSES IN SAID BODY WHEREBY SAID WIRES MAY BE DISPOSED IN SAID RECESSES OF SAID END PLATE AND SAID BODY AND RETAINED THEREIN BY SAID FINGERS. 